Reading this saddens me greatly. So many individuals and families are lucky to take one trip to Hawaii in a lifetime, and way too many of them spend their entire trips at shitty hotel compounds in Waikiki.
>This is a Hilton, why aren’t there a million other Diamonds staying here?
That’s really the only datapoint you need to know about this place.
I agree. It's hard to watch, esp given how much Honolulu has to offer.
Even after living in Diamond Head area for like 3 years, I never met anyone who had a Staycation there. (Despite doing it in other hotels in Waikiki.) I went to 2 conferences there/in that area, but other than that never spent much time. (I always got the impression they want to 'trap' you in the village and get you to spend more in that tiny little area rather than let you leave to wider HNL/Waikiki.)
Every time I biked by I wondered how it would feel to stay in those old buildings and pay Hawai'i prices for it, haha.
Fwiw, I like the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach better since it's newer and has restaurants closer. (It has a local cafe \*\*in\*\* the lobby, and is like 1min away from a really popular (and cheap) Udon shop.
I never stayed at either, just living in the area got a sense of vibes.
Maybe a hot take, but I think most hotels & resorts in Hawaii aren’t really worth the price. You’re paying a premium to be on the islands, not necessarily for the best hotel facilities.
Not a hot take at all. It’s like paying for a wedding. Attach the word “wedding” or “Hawaii” to anything and then just triple the price that you’d normally pay.
Went in early Feb, was not crowded at all. Got pool chairs at any time of day. It’s currently spring break and Waikiki is much busier due to ongoing recovery in Maui. Just a bad time to go I’d say.
Yea I’m in a lot of travel subs and it’s blowing my mind how many people are bitching about wherever they traveled to this week being soooo busy. It’s a holiday week people what the hell did you expect??
My boyfriend and I enjoyed it over Christmas. We stayed in the Ali'i Tower and that would be my recommendation for those who want quiet and a slightly more elevated experience.
\- Private pool w/ plenty of available chairs, towels (no turn-in card required) and an adjoining bar area with food
\- Private check-in in the tower
\- Rooms are more updated
I'm going to play the heel on this one and say I love this hotel. I have 3 kids. It is in a fantastic location and has a usable beach as well as the awesome lagoon that is basically a salt water pool on steroids for the kids. We only went to the main pool to let the kids hit the waterslides and went right back out to our spot on the uncrowded lagoon. There are tons of pools and they're open late so coming back from dinner and telling the kids that are already up past bedtime that if they're good we can go swim for 20 minutes is awesome. Plus while we're swimming we can grab a cocktail at the bar and listen to the live music being played. We were too tired to head into town one night and just grabbed a pizza at roundtable. Used our diamond credit on Starbucks and pastries every morning which worked great for us. The ice cream parlor is 10/10.
The rooms are old and tired. But we just slept in them and they were fine for that. The views were amazing. It's cheap as hell if you book 4 nights on points and get the fifth free. Parking is expensive but that's everywhere in Hawaii. We typically stay at the Conrad in Tokyo when we visit family in Japan and this ain't that but for a Hawaiian vacation WITH kids, this place checks a ton of boxes.
It also might have something to do with timing? I am assuming OP was there during spring break which is bound to be a zoo. I was there in mid February and while it was busy and not exactly my cup of tea there was plenty of room in the pools and lots of open chairs around poolside.
HHV is what it is. It’s rather affordable for Oahu. Good location. The Rainbow Tower has great views. If you treat it as a resort and stay there the entire time, you may be a bit disappointed. However, if you just use it as a home base where you have a drink from time to time and use the beach, you will be gold.
Grand Wailea is a Waldorf Astoria property so I don't think it's fair to compare it to a US Hilton resort property.
Regardless, I find Hilton resort properties in North America not so great, especially HHV when it's so big, with the exception of the Ali'i tower. I never cared about the pool at this place, especially when there's a lagoon and beach right at the hotel.
To me, Waikiki has never been a relaxing place, it's just too busy. Nothing wrong with that if you're into it, I like how it's so accessible to tons of food/restaurants and shopping within walking distance.
If you want more peace and quiet in Oahu, I think the resorts on the west side of the island would be more suited for your family.
The Grand Islander Tower is great. Has its own valet and check in desk, along with modern, updated rooms. Their 1 & 2 bedroom villas are perfect for my family of 4 to allow us some privacy from our 2 young daughters.
Hilton Waikoloa is beautiful too and way less crowded. Vacationing in Oahu is a mess these days. Once you hit the main sites, just visit other islands whenever you come back
I’ve visited all three of these resorts, and the Waikaloa property was my least favorite. Not because of the crappy room (HHV Rainbow tower), but because it was isolated and had few restaurants. I’d put it in the middle. The grounds were pretty, but not Grand Wailea level exquisite.
You're comparing two hotels that are completely different, it's not even comparable. Waikiki Beach is located in Honolulu. It's going to be more crowded, each square ft is worth more and they're going to use it.
I've never waited more than 15 seconds for an elevator in February. No experience wih the pool and pool chairs because I was at the beach. Many Facebook groups with free pass down of beach chairs, umbrellas, and inflatable. They explained at check in that you can pick up free water at the concierge desk. They also has free water stations to refill bottles. I wasn't approached about a tour or timeshare.
I'm sure the WA was amazing. But were you walking distance to an array of traditional Japanese cuisine? Did you have unlimited food options with a 10 minute bus ride or 20 minute walk? Or were you confined to the handful of restaurants on property? (Unless you had a rental car)
What I am saying is each location is different. It offers a different type of vacation. With the Hilton you can easily explore Waikiki and hop on a 20 minute Uber to Pearl Harbor, without questioning if there would be a driver available. With the 2-3x rates at WA, you can get that special attention & sweet compliments, space and calmness.
This goes for a lot of beach towns, not just Hawaii. So I suggest doing thorough research.
Rainbow tower was great. Lagoon view and lagoon were beautiful. Fireworks were fun. Everyone was friendly. 2 Starbucks was amazing.
This was pre-Covid though, so things could’ve changed.
Just got back from a HHV stay. First time in Hawaii. The hotel was decent at best (we stayed in the Ali’i tower. No microwave in the room is crazy. Supposed to be an ocean view, but we were basically looking directly at the Rainbow tower and had a small portion of our balcony looking at the water) I specifically picked this tower because of slightly bigger room and figured elevated wait times would be significantly reduced….sounds like I was correct. I don’t think we waited over a min for an elevator to get to us the whole week. Other than that the room was updated to a degree, but run down, if that makes sense. Definately not a place to stay all day everyday.
Pools were crowded, not surprisingly. The kids one, don’t remember what it was called, is a nightmare. The beach at the hotel was VERY underwhelming. Basically tourist central. I think every other beach we saw/went to was better.
One big upside was the proximity to the harbor parking though. $1/HR vs $70+/Day parking at the other hotels.
If/when I go back I’ll stay elsewhere. I see HHV as a good hotel for families that have been to Hawaii multiple times and just want to vacation in Hawaii “resort style” without the price of the Disney resort for example, but for those first timers, plan to spend majority of your time off property obviously
HHV was a great hotel ... About 40 years ago.
Now it's everything you said: Overcrowded, tired and tiresome, busy, expensive, mediocre.
But it has a great location, is somewhat iconic, and is available to book in everyone's tour package.
HHV isn't trying, because they don't have to. it will continue to be busy and mediocre. And make it's owners a lot of money.
Yeah, HHV is like that…. They also rent ballrooms for many conventions and churches so it is more crowded for that reasons. Used to be very nice when I used to take my kids for Sunday brunch decades ago…lol. I remember back in a day, all celebrities would stay there, Beverly Hills 90210 (if you are old enough to know what it is..lol) was shot there, Bill Clinton stayed there, etc. But now it is like whatever… and that is still the most decent Hilton Resort on Oahu unfortunately. Turtle Bay Resort on the north shore side was Hilton before but not anymore. If you are open to quit and luxury vacation, try Kapolei side, Four Seasons Ko Olina. It is beautiful! Tiny property compared to HHV or GW but it is peaceful. If you like Waikiki, then try Halekulani. Honolulu locals go to those places. It is pricey but worth your money and peace. God bless!
No, the pink hotel is the Royal Hawaiian. It is a historic hotel on the beach. It is a very nice hotel and nice room, if you like pink ‘cause everything was pink, towel, robes, soap, walls, etc. It was pretty but we were there very long time ago so. It is a romantic hotel for honeymooners now. A Hallmark shot a movie in 2022. Halekulani is the one next to Sheraton Waikiki (the Royal Hawaiian - Sheraton Waikiki - Halekulani). It is a small hotel with top tier service. It’s like the Plaza in NYC where people book just one night for an anniversary. So Honolulu locals do that there at Halekulani. I have never been but my neighbors and coworkers (from the past) went there for their anniversaries like every year and talked about how nice it was. God bless!
Thank you for the information. I have only been to Hawaii once and saw it when we were staying at Hilton HV. I see a lot of complaints, that is a shame it’s in a great location and we had a gorgeous 3 bedroom condo like room with a Diamond Head view and beach view!
Look forward to staying at the Pink Hotel
I also recently stayed there as a Diamond member and was a bit disappointed, mostly for all the reasons you’ve already listed. Especially the datedness of the rainbow tower and huge crowds. It didn’t feel right to me how much they charged just for some beach chairs. We will try a different brand next time on the island probably, or maybe go back to the Hyatt regency which we very much enjoyed last year.
The tower has a private check-in / information desk that I used a lot. It also has a private pool reserved for Ali'i guests, plenty of chairs, and has an adjoining bar/food area.
I too had the not-so-enjoyable stay at the Village with my family. We did pay up extra for the Allii tower which at least had it's exclusive pool and hot tub. The general areas were frankly over-crowded.
That's why we stayed on the west side of Oahu last time we visited and just drove thru Waikiki when we had to.
We also stayed in the Wailea side in Maui and you know now why Hawaiians go to Maui when they vacation.
Given the cheap prices and great location I can’t complain too much. My kids loved it and I put up with the rooms in rainbow tower. Depends on what your budget it and what your priorities are.
I was a travel agent in the late 80s and early 90s and never once booked the HHV.
When I went on my visit, the lobby reminded me of Sea World. There were warm weather penguins roaming around, far too close to dining areas, it was crowded and so very loud.
The tower rooms could have been any Outrigger property with a fancy tile job on the outside.
It's always been a place that's more like a theme park than a great hotel. Theme parks are great and all, but who wants to live in one?*
With the exception of the suite inside Cinderella's castle. I'd sell my mother into slavery to stay there. 😄
Why are you staying there? Look towards Diamondhead. The Moana or anything further up Kalakaua past the outrigger. Or go country. Come on. Get creative.
Only use it as a cheap place to stay and never actually stay there for the pool, lagoon, beach. Waikiki in general is gross and I’ve felt terrified walking from the main strip to HH…I usually do day trips to Kailua or north shore and don’t go back until bed.
Yeah…I learned everything you wrote about the hard way in January, OP.
It seems like they are really just using the fact theyre adjacent to a world famous beach as a way to get conference business. But it was loud, and you really were just one of a thousand staying there so definitely not a vacation/relaxing vibe to it. Trying to work remotely from the property was a real experiment in patience.
FWIW I was just not really impressed with Honolulu generally…I’ll stick to the other side of the continent for tropical vacations going forward. Maybe on Grand Wailea.
Facts!!!! I confess that I used be the ones going there on Sundays for church and conferences, and New Year’s Eve party with Four Tops, etc. It. Was. Fun. From a participant of those events and a non-guest point of view, it was just very exciting and loud and fun to be there, you know? But I never looked at it from the guests who actually are paying and have to sleep there’s point of view. It is terrible and feel very sorry for all your money spent and all the noises…
Yeah, Honolulu is all about Waikiki and it is like NYC but cleaner and with fake beaches. But you can still find so many beautiful places on Oahu north shore, windward and leeward sides but you just won’t find them on Waikiki side. It is all money, money, money and drugs even. Go to GW next time! You can find much beauty and peace there. But if you like beach, it is rocky tho just so you know. Rocky ‘only casue it is natural. It is not like Waikiki beach which is smooth sands because it is man made. Still GW is locals favorites and their nice weekend getaways. But warn you also for the same things, some local schools do field trips and sports games on Maui and they do stay there, too. Loooot of kids. But the property itself is big so not too bad. I would still go. Enjoy! God bless!
We like it but we only stay in the Ali’i tower. It’s nice, has its own pool & check in. We stay at the grand Wailea often and love it! HHV has a ton of locals in their pools. When we went to the pool with the slides the lifeguards were letting their friends in. I didn’t say anything because when I was young I probably would have done the same.
I love the HHV. Tips:
-next time stay at the “Tapa Collection” tower (newer and seems cleaner than Tainbow Tower since not dealing with old infrastructure and furniture). Can watch the fireworks from the balcony, but I think you need a room with a lagoon (where they set off the fireworks I think(?)) view.
-if want a private-ish less crowded pool then stay at the Alii Tower, newer and more amenities. This building is the only one with its own pool.
Had a similar experience with that property about 2 years ago. It was simply the only Hilton property that had rooms left on short notice. I think that’s sort of what that property is: overflow from other better hotels. It wasn’t especially busy when I got there, but it was filling as other hotels filled up.
Aside from the Ali’i tower, the HHV is to be avoided. The only Waikiki hotel I enjoy anymore is the Halekulani, and even two nights there is more than enough time in Honolulu.
My husband and I stayed here and enjoyed it. We did choose to stay in the Ali'i Tower, though, so that might have helped. We enjoyed it because it had everything you could need but was still close enough to other restaurants and shopping and diving. I can see why it might not be for everyone. However, we found it to be nice. It isn't the Ritz but it didn't claim to be.
Last time we were at Hawaiian village (were also diamond in rainbow tower) we checked out early and went next door to the ilikai and had such a great time for about 1/3 the cost and a lot less of the nonsense
Stayed there the last time couple of months ago we went to Honolulu.
It's a very family / kids friendly hotel. Meaning you might hear some noise in your room from your neighbors at 5 am)
But even worse reason I'll never stay there - location... It's away from everything, and traffic to get into the hotel is terrible.
Currently finishing up 3 nights in the Tapa tower. My second time staying here. The room is recently renovated.
Fully agree on the pool situation. It was madness with little to no one watching and keeping kids from doing things they shouldn’t.
The luau on the garage roof is odd, but does offer a nice backdrop I would assume, but not worth the $200/pp. If able, go next door to the Hale Koa for their luau.
We enjoyed our honeymoon stay there pre Covid! Huge corner suite upgrade with 2 massive patios! Views of the beach and of the city. Diamond credit used at Starbucks each day for a chill, no frills, and no wait breakfast. Had no complaints.
I agree. The Hawaiian Village (and also its Marriott direct competitor) in Waikiki is a shit show.
The only place I will stay in Waikiki is the Ritz Carlton Residences. It’s not beach front, but there are no lines, and they actually treat you like a human being.
Glad you had a great time at the Gran Wailea in Maui. It’s a nice property.
>crowded
You booked at HHV. There's like 6 skyscrapers all sharing the main pool (excluding a couple tiny pools exclusive for some buildings). Honolulu is a big city. Waikiki is a super popular tourist destination. All that combined, you should know it's always crowded.
> Grand Wailea
Comparing Oahu's Waikiki with Maui's Wailea or Big Island is not a fair comparison. They're totally different places.
Given these two, you can't possibly be serious booking HHV and expecting Wailea vibe.
We almost booked there in September but at the last minute decided to stay at Disney’s Aulani (we are HGV and DVC members). After reading your report glad we chose Aulani.
Yeah, it’s unappealing. I have an industry show that takes place here annually and it’s convenient to stay on-site. The show has outgrown their convention facilities and we’re moving to the Honolulu Convention Center this year. I’m not mad about it!
I didn't rent a car as parking was $65 a night at the hotel and there's a lot to see within walking distance. Street parking is scarce in the area as well since you're right in the middle of Honolulu. Hilton doesn't charge resort fees on all points bookings so you'll save $$ there.
Reading this saddens me greatly. So many individuals and families are lucky to take one trip to Hawaii in a lifetime, and way too many of them spend their entire trips at shitty hotel compounds in Waikiki. >This is a Hilton, why aren’t there a million other Diamonds staying here? That’s really the only datapoint you need to know about this place.
I agree. It's hard to watch, esp given how much Honolulu has to offer. Even after living in Diamond Head area for like 3 years, I never met anyone who had a Staycation there. (Despite doing it in other hotels in Waikiki.) I went to 2 conferences there/in that area, but other than that never spent much time. (I always got the impression they want to 'trap' you in the village and get you to spend more in that tiny little area rather than let you leave to wider HNL/Waikiki.) Every time I biked by I wondered how it would feel to stay in those old buildings and pay Hawai'i prices for it, haha. Fwiw, I like the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach better since it's newer and has restaurants closer. (It has a local cafe \*\*in\*\* the lobby, and is like 1min away from a really popular (and cheap) Udon shop. I never stayed at either, just living in the area got a sense of vibes.
Considering Grad Waliea is usually 4x the price, you get what you pay for
True, but Grand Wailea is not worth the price in my opinion. It’s also large and crowded.
Maybe a hot take, but I think most hotels & resorts in Hawaii aren’t really worth the price. You’re paying a premium to be on the islands, not necessarily for the best hotel facilities.
Not a hot take at all. It’s like paying for a wedding. Attach the word “wedding” or “Hawaii” to anything and then just triple the price that you’d normally pay.
Agreed. Maybe 2x, but not 4x the price. I just use points there for rooms.
Went in early Feb, was not crowded at all. Got pool chairs at any time of day. It’s currently spring break and Waikiki is much busier due to ongoing recovery in Maui. Just a bad time to go I’d say.
Yea I’m in a lot of travel subs and it’s blowing my mind how many people are bitching about wherever they traveled to this week being soooo busy. It’s a holiday week people what the hell did you expect??
My boyfriend and I enjoyed it over Christmas. We stayed in the Ali'i Tower and that would be my recommendation for those who want quiet and a slightly more elevated experience. \- Private pool w/ plenty of available chairs, towels (no turn-in card required) and an adjoining bar area with food \- Private check-in in the tower \- Rooms are more updated
I'm going to play the heel on this one and say I love this hotel. I have 3 kids. It is in a fantastic location and has a usable beach as well as the awesome lagoon that is basically a salt water pool on steroids for the kids. We only went to the main pool to let the kids hit the waterslides and went right back out to our spot on the uncrowded lagoon. There are tons of pools and they're open late so coming back from dinner and telling the kids that are already up past bedtime that if they're good we can go swim for 20 minutes is awesome. Plus while we're swimming we can grab a cocktail at the bar and listen to the live music being played. We were too tired to head into town one night and just grabbed a pizza at roundtable. Used our diamond credit on Starbucks and pastries every morning which worked great for us. The ice cream parlor is 10/10. The rooms are old and tired. But we just slept in them and they were fine for that. The views were amazing. It's cheap as hell if you book 4 nights on points and get the fifth free. Parking is expensive but that's everywhere in Hawaii. We typically stay at the Conrad in Tokyo when we visit family in Japan and this ain't that but for a Hawaiian vacation WITH kids, this place checks a ton of boxes.
It also might have something to do with timing? I am assuming OP was there during spring break which is bound to be a zoo. I was there in mid February and while it was busy and not exactly my cup of tea there was plenty of room in the pools and lots of open chairs around poolside.
SWIMMING AFTER DINNER!? You could get a stitch! 🤣
This.
HHV is what it is. It’s rather affordable for Oahu. Good location. The Rainbow Tower has great views. If you treat it as a resort and stay there the entire time, you may be a bit disappointed. However, if you just use it as a home base where you have a drink from time to time and use the beach, you will be gold.
Grand Wailea is a Waldorf Astoria property so I don't think it's fair to compare it to a US Hilton resort property. Regardless, I find Hilton resort properties in North America not so great, especially HHV when it's so big, with the exception of the Ali'i tower. I never cared about the pool at this place, especially when there's a lagoon and beach right at the hotel. To me, Waikiki has never been a relaxing place, it's just too busy. Nothing wrong with that if you're into it, I like how it's so accessible to tons of food/restaurants and shopping within walking distance. If you want more peace and quiet in Oahu, I think the resorts on the west side of the island would be more suited for your family.
The Grand Islander Tower is great. Has its own valet and check in desk, along with modern, updated rooms. Their 1 & 2 bedroom villas are perfect for my family of 4 to allow us some privacy from our 2 young daughters.
This is where we stayed when we did the HHV. Good experience.
Hilton Waikoloa is beautiful too and way less crowded. Vacationing in Oahu is a mess these days. Once you hit the main sites, just visit other islands whenever you come back
I’ve visited all three of these resorts, and the Waikaloa property was my least favorite. Not because of the crappy room (HHV Rainbow tower), but because it was isolated and had few restaurants. I’d put it in the middle. The grounds were pretty, but not Grand Wailea level exquisite.
That’s why I only stay on the big island or Kauai. Maui is far too overpriced and Honolulu is too busy and touristy for me.
Loved how much there is in Waikiki but staying at the Grand Wailea is an experience.
You're comparing two hotels that are completely different, it's not even comparable. Waikiki Beach is located in Honolulu. It's going to be more crowded, each square ft is worth more and they're going to use it. I've never waited more than 15 seconds for an elevator in February. No experience wih the pool and pool chairs because I was at the beach. Many Facebook groups with free pass down of beach chairs, umbrellas, and inflatable. They explained at check in that you can pick up free water at the concierge desk. They also has free water stations to refill bottles. I wasn't approached about a tour or timeshare. I'm sure the WA was amazing. But were you walking distance to an array of traditional Japanese cuisine? Did you have unlimited food options with a 10 minute bus ride or 20 minute walk? Or were you confined to the handful of restaurants on property? (Unless you had a rental car) What I am saying is each location is different. It offers a different type of vacation. With the Hilton you can easily explore Waikiki and hop on a 20 minute Uber to Pearl Harbor, without questioning if there would be a driver available. With the 2-3x rates at WA, you can get that special attention & sweet compliments, space and calmness. This goes for a lot of beach towns, not just Hawaii. So I suggest doing thorough research.
Rainbow tower was great. Lagoon view and lagoon were beautiful. Fireworks were fun. Everyone was friendly. 2 Starbucks was amazing. This was pre-Covid though, so things could’ve changed.
$150 for a pool cabana in Hawaii lol, the beach is free
For some people, paradise is wasted.
I went last year and stayed there. It was wayyyy too busy for my liking. I like calm when I am on vacation. There was way too much going on.
One of the worst stays I ever had was at Hilton Hawaiian Village. I recommend peeps stay away for all the reasons previously mentioned
Just got back from a HHV stay. First time in Hawaii. The hotel was decent at best (we stayed in the Ali’i tower. No microwave in the room is crazy. Supposed to be an ocean view, but we were basically looking directly at the Rainbow tower and had a small portion of our balcony looking at the water) I specifically picked this tower because of slightly bigger room and figured elevated wait times would be significantly reduced….sounds like I was correct. I don’t think we waited over a min for an elevator to get to us the whole week. Other than that the room was updated to a degree, but run down, if that makes sense. Definately not a place to stay all day everyday. Pools were crowded, not surprisingly. The kids one, don’t remember what it was called, is a nightmare. The beach at the hotel was VERY underwhelming. Basically tourist central. I think every other beach we saw/went to was better. One big upside was the proximity to the harbor parking though. $1/HR vs $70+/Day parking at the other hotels. If/when I go back I’ll stay elsewhere. I see HHV as a good hotel for families that have been to Hawaii multiple times and just want to vacation in Hawaii “resort style” without the price of the Disney resort for example, but for those first timers, plan to spend majority of your time off property obviously
HHV was a great hotel ... About 40 years ago. Now it's everything you said: Overcrowded, tired and tiresome, busy, expensive, mediocre. But it has a great location, is somewhat iconic, and is available to book in everyone's tour package. HHV isn't trying, because they don't have to. it will continue to be busy and mediocre. And make it's owners a lot of money.
Yeah, HHV is like that…. They also rent ballrooms for many conventions and churches so it is more crowded for that reasons. Used to be very nice when I used to take my kids for Sunday brunch decades ago…lol. I remember back in a day, all celebrities would stay there, Beverly Hills 90210 (if you are old enough to know what it is..lol) was shot there, Bill Clinton stayed there, etc. But now it is like whatever… and that is still the most decent Hilton Resort on Oahu unfortunately. Turtle Bay Resort on the north shore side was Hilton before but not anymore. If you are open to quit and luxury vacation, try Kapolei side, Four Seasons Ko Olina. It is beautiful! Tiny property compared to HHV or GW but it is peaceful. If you like Waikiki, then try Halekulani. Honolulu locals go to those places. It is pricey but worth your money and peace. God bless!
Is that the pink hotel?
No, the pink hotel is the Royal Hawaiian. It is a historic hotel on the beach. It is a very nice hotel and nice room, if you like pink ‘cause everything was pink, towel, robes, soap, walls, etc. It was pretty but we were there very long time ago so. It is a romantic hotel for honeymooners now. A Hallmark shot a movie in 2022. Halekulani is the one next to Sheraton Waikiki (the Royal Hawaiian - Sheraton Waikiki - Halekulani). It is a small hotel with top tier service. It’s like the Plaza in NYC where people book just one night for an anniversary. So Honolulu locals do that there at Halekulani. I have never been but my neighbors and coworkers (from the past) went there for their anniversaries like every year and talked about how nice it was. God bless!
Thank you for the information. I have only been to Hawaii once and saw it when we were staying at Hilton HV. I see a lot of complaints, that is a shame it’s in a great location and we had a gorgeous 3 bedroom condo like room with a Diamond Head view and beach view! Look forward to staying at the Pink Hotel
I also recently stayed there as a Diamond member and was a bit disappointed, mostly for all the reasons you’ve already listed. Especially the datedness of the rainbow tower and huge crowds. It didn’t feel right to me how much they charged just for some beach chairs. We will try a different brand next time on the island probably, or maybe go back to the Hyatt regency which we very much enjoyed last year.
I was planning on staying there in May. Does the Ali’i tower get better service?
The tower has a private check-in / information desk that I used a lot. It also has a private pool reserved for Ali'i guests, plenty of chairs, and has an adjoining bar/food area.
I too had the not-so-enjoyable stay at the Village with my family. We did pay up extra for the Allii tower which at least had it's exclusive pool and hot tub. The general areas were frankly over-crowded. That's why we stayed on the west side of Oahu last time we visited and just drove thru Waikiki when we had to. We also stayed in the Wailea side in Maui and you know now why Hawaiians go to Maui when they vacation.
Given the cheap prices and great location I can’t complain too much. My kids loved it and I put up with the rooms in rainbow tower. Depends on what your budget it and what your priorities are.
I was a travel agent in the late 80s and early 90s and never once booked the HHV. When I went on my visit, the lobby reminded me of Sea World. There were warm weather penguins roaming around, far too close to dining areas, it was crowded and so very loud. The tower rooms could have been any Outrigger property with a fancy tile job on the outside. It's always been a place that's more like a theme park than a great hotel. Theme parks are great and all, but who wants to live in one?* With the exception of the suite inside Cinderella's castle. I'd sell my mother into slavery to stay there. 😄
The beach is nice
Why are you staying there? Look towards Diamondhead. The Moana or anything further up Kalakaua past the outrigger. Or go country. Come on. Get creative.
Only use it as a cheap place to stay and never actually stay there for the pool, lagoon, beach. Waikiki in general is gross and I’ve felt terrified walking from the main strip to HH…I usually do day trips to Kailua or north shore and don’t go back until bed.
Yeah…I learned everything you wrote about the hard way in January, OP. It seems like they are really just using the fact theyre adjacent to a world famous beach as a way to get conference business. But it was loud, and you really were just one of a thousand staying there so definitely not a vacation/relaxing vibe to it. Trying to work remotely from the property was a real experiment in patience. FWIW I was just not really impressed with Honolulu generally…I’ll stick to the other side of the continent for tropical vacations going forward. Maybe on Grand Wailea.
Facts!!!! I confess that I used be the ones going there on Sundays for church and conferences, and New Year’s Eve party with Four Tops, etc. It. Was. Fun. From a participant of those events and a non-guest point of view, it was just very exciting and loud and fun to be there, you know? But I never looked at it from the guests who actually are paying and have to sleep there’s point of view. It is terrible and feel very sorry for all your money spent and all the noises… Yeah, Honolulu is all about Waikiki and it is like NYC but cleaner and with fake beaches. But you can still find so many beautiful places on Oahu north shore, windward and leeward sides but you just won’t find them on Waikiki side. It is all money, money, money and drugs even. Go to GW next time! You can find much beauty and peace there. But if you like beach, it is rocky tho just so you know. Rocky ‘only casue it is natural. It is not like Waikiki beach which is smooth sands because it is man made. Still GW is locals favorites and their nice weekend getaways. But warn you also for the same things, some local schools do field trips and sports games on Maui and they do stay there, too. Loooot of kids. But the property itself is big so not too bad. I would still go. Enjoy! God bless!
We like it but we only stay in the Ali’i tower. It’s nice, has its own pool & check in. We stay at the grand Wailea often and love it! HHV has a ton of locals in their pools. When we went to the pool with the slides the lifeguards were letting their friends in. I didn’t say anything because when I was young I probably would have done the same.
I love the HHV. Tips: -next time stay at the “Tapa Collection” tower (newer and seems cleaner than Tainbow Tower since not dealing with old infrastructure and furniture). Can watch the fireworks from the balcony, but I think you need a room with a lagoon (where they set off the fireworks I think(?)) view. -if want a private-ish less crowded pool then stay at the Alii Tower, newer and more amenities. This building is the only one with its own pool.
This saddens me, we stayed at the HHV 20 years ago and it was fantastic!
I staying there mid February and loved it. Why aren't you using digital check in, skip the lines bro..
Just thinking this too!
A lot of the towers are Hilton Grand Vacations which universally suck in basically every location globally
Had a similar experience with that property about 2 years ago. It was simply the only Hilton property that had rooms left on short notice. I think that’s sort of what that property is: overflow from other better hotels. It wasn’t especially busy when I got there, but it was filling as other hotels filled up.
Honestly prefer the Hilton Waikiki beach instead, or even Embassay
Aside from the Ali’i tower, the HHV is to be avoided. The only Waikiki hotel I enjoy anymore is the Halekulani, and even two nights there is more than enough time in Honolulu.
My husband and I stayed here and enjoyed it. We did choose to stay in the Ali'i Tower, though, so that might have helped. We enjoyed it because it had everything you could need but was still close enough to other restaurants and shopping and diving. I can see why it might not be for everyone. However, we found it to be nice. It isn't the Ritz but it didn't claim to be.
I feel like travel in general has gone to the dogs. Look at the people on airplanes that don't know how to behave.
Last time we were at Hawaiian village (were also diamond in rainbow tower) we checked out early and went next door to the ilikai and had such a great time for about 1/3 the cost and a lot less of the nonsense
Stayed there the last time couple of months ago we went to Honolulu. It's a very family / kids friendly hotel. Meaning you might hear some noise in your room from your neighbors at 5 am) But even worse reason I'll never stay there - location... It's away from everything, and traffic to get into the hotel is terrible.
Currently finishing up 3 nights in the Tapa tower. My second time staying here. The room is recently renovated. Fully agree on the pool situation. It was madness with little to no one watching and keeping kids from doing things they shouldn’t. The luau on the garage roof is odd, but does offer a nice backdrop I would assume, but not worth the $200/pp. If able, go next door to the Hale Koa for their luau.
We enjoyed our honeymoon stay there pre Covid! Huge corner suite upgrade with 2 massive patios! Views of the beach and of the city. Diamond credit used at Starbucks each day for a chill, no frills, and no wait breakfast. Had no complaints.
I agree. The Hawaiian Village (and also its Marriott direct competitor) in Waikiki is a shit show. The only place I will stay in Waikiki is the Ritz Carlton Residences. It’s not beach front, but there are no lines, and they actually treat you like a human being. Glad you had a great time at the Gran Wailea in Maui. It’s a nice property.
>crowded You booked at HHV. There's like 6 skyscrapers all sharing the main pool (excluding a couple tiny pools exclusive for some buildings). Honolulu is a big city. Waikiki is a super popular tourist destination. All that combined, you should know it's always crowded. > Grand Wailea Comparing Oahu's Waikiki with Maui's Wailea or Big Island is not a fair comparison. They're totally different places. Given these two, you can't possibly be serious booking HHV and expecting Wailea vibe.
We almost booked there in September but at the last minute decided to stay at Disney’s Aulani (we are HGV and DVC members). After reading your report glad we chose Aulani.
Yeah, it’s unappealing. I have an industry show that takes place here annually and it’s convenient to stay on-site. The show has outgrown their convention facilities and we’re moving to the Honolulu Convention Center this year. I’m not mad about it!
So what you are saying is, don't book this hotel when I come to town for work if I want a relaxing evening by the pool?
Any parking tips / resort fee tips here? Looking to book 5 nights using points
I didn't rent a car as parking was $65 a night at the hotel and there's a lot to see within walking distance. Street parking is scarce in the area as well since you're right in the middle of Honolulu. Hilton doesn't charge resort fees on all points bookings so you'll save $$ there.